What’s included in your property inspection?
All inspections are:
- Carried out by an accredited and fully insured building and timber pest inspector.
- Completed in strict accordance with the Australian Standards for building and timber pest inspections.
- Backed by friendly and approachable service.
- Followed up with unlimited phone support to further clarify any findings in your report.
All reports are:
- Detailed, multi-page yet easy to read and full of colour photos to illustrate findings.
- Built with a summary up-front to highlight significant issues first.
- Preferred by real estate industry professionals – succinct, clearly laid out and with the right information for all parties to make informed decisions about the property.
- Delivered to you by email, in an easy to download PDF document that can be viewed on any device.
- Produced using the very best property inspection software available worldwide. We are proud of our reports!
Please read the tabs below relevant to the type of inspection required, as well as what’s not included, and also read our FAQ tab.
Structural Building Inspection
A structural building inspection checks on the integrity of and conditions affecting the load-bearing structures of the building.
This is the report you need to determine if the home or building is safe and structurally sound. Colour photos will highlight issues and help you to clearly understand the findings of the inspection.
Our inspector is available to talk through findings once you receive your report.
Here’s what’s included, provided we can reasonably access and observe all these areas:
- Foundations, floors and sub-floor space
- Walls – interior and exterior
- Roof and roof-frame, including inside the roof space
- Load-bearing columns and beams of the house and verandahs, patios, carports
- Safety hazards – reports will highlight immediate or imminent safety concerns that are observed during our inspection
Comprehensive Building Inspection
On top of the structural inspection we will also check for maintenance issues on other areas of the building. Useful for home-buyers who have contracts allowing them to negotiate on non-structural items, or to understand the immediate maintenance requirements of the property before you even move in.
Includes all items in the Structural Building Inspection PLUS:
- Ceilings
- Roofing material
- Gutters and downpipes
- Cladding – interior and exterior
- Windows, doors and frames
- Check and test fixtures that open and close – doors, windows, cupboards, gates, etc
- Check and test visible plumbing components such as taps, faucets and under sink drainage.
- Condition of verandahs, patios, carports, gazebos, garden sheds
- Site assessment up to 30m from house – driveways, paths, fences, gates
- And more – let us know any specific concerns and our inspector check them
Timber pests in Western Australia include: termites, wood borers and fungal decay.
Areas of the property that are accessible are checked for evidence of timber pest infestation, damage and susceptibility.
Receive a detailed, multi-page report including colour photos where timber pests are found and susceptible areas. Receive a non-biased report – we are not a pest treatment business, only inspectors.
We will check:
- Foundations, floors and sub-floor space
- Walls – interior and exterior
- Roof and roof-frame, including inside the roof space where accessible
- Load-bearing columns and beams
- Ceilings
- Cladding – interior and exterior
- All rooms and openings – kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, wardrobes, cupboards, benches etc
- Verandahs, patios, gazebos, garden sheds
- Site assessment up to 50m from house – driveways, paths, fences, gates, sheds, garden beds, garden structures, retaining walls, trees
Subject to our availability we can also inspect small commercial properties.
A comprehensive audit that checks the structural condition of the building and also checks for maintenance issues.
Includes all items in the Structural Building Inspection PLUS:
- Ceilings
- Roofing material
- Gutters and downpipes
- All cladding – interior and exterior
- Kitchens, bathrooms, offices, store rooms
- Check and test everything that opens and closes – doors, windows, cupboards, gates, etc
- Verandahs, patios, gazebos, sheds, carports
- Site assessment up to 30m from the building – site drainage, driveways, paths, fences, gates, garages
- And more – let us know any specific concerns and our inspector will be sure to check them
Commercial property inspection reports can be very detailed, depending on the size and features of the property, and we aim to deliver your complete report within two business days of completing the inspection unless we advise you otherwise.
It’s important to remember the following:
- Pre-purchase building and pest inspections are a visible, non-invasive check of the accessible areas of the property at the time of the inspection.
- This means that a pre-purchase property inspector cannot ever guarentee that all structural, maintenance or timber pest related issues are observed or reported on at the time of the inspection.
- Buyers should understand there is still some risk in purchasing a property even with the best and most thorough inspection having been completed.
- However, pre-purchase property inspectors are here to provide you with more peace of mind than you would have if you did not have the inspections completed.
There are also some key areas of the property that we do not inspect:
Specialist inspections:
The following systems and items are not required by Australian Standards as part of a building or timber pest inspection, and this is because in Australia checks of these items must be carried out by a licensed contractor or qualified consultant who specialises in these specific services.
Be wary of building inspection companies who claim to cover ANY of the items below. Ask them if a qualified and fully insured professional / specialist is responsible for that part of the inspection.
Building and timber pest inspections don’t include:
- Electrical, gas, plumbing and septic system tests
- Appliances such as dishwashers, ovens and fridges
- Security or monitoring systems
- Home entertainment or smart home systems
- Solar systems
- Swimming pools or spas
- Wood heaters and air conditioning units
- Garden reticulation systems/water features
- Water tanks and pumps
- Environmental, health or biological risks such as mould, asbestos contamination, lead content or radon
- Commercial fit-outs and equipment
- The building’s compliance with the provision of any building act, code regulation(s) or by-laws
- The status of the property’s service connections including phone, internet, water or power
- The ground on which the building rests including stability or flood risk
Non-accessible areas:
During a property inspection the building and grounds can present areas that are simply not accessible. Non-accessible areas can be the result of a number of reasons, including but not limited to:
- Locked rooms and storage areas
- Areas that cannot be accessed without removing cladding or penetrating the structure
- Unsafe crawl spaces or confined spaces, the size of these spaces are defined in the Australian Standards.
- Recently treated areas for pests or weeds
- Stored goods, furniture and personal property
- Vehicles and boats
- Pets being restrained in rooms or yards
- Home occupants using rooms privately (sleeping, working from home, bathrooms etc)
- Any area that the inspector deems to be unsafe to access at the time of the inspection
When will I receive my report(s)?
- Pre-Purchase Building Inspections, Pre-Purchase Timber Pest Inspections, Final Inspections, Rental Property Inspections: reports are delivered by end of the following day, after your inspection is completed unless another timeframe is agreed to by us.
- Tax Depreciation Schedules, Special Purpose Reports: reports / schedules are delivered as agreed to in our quote, and this is usually a few days to a week.
How can I pay for my inspections?
- Payment is accepted by all credit cards (online or over the phone) and by direct bank transfer.
- You’ll be issued with an invoice for payment as soon as your inspection(s) are booked.
Can I meet the inspector at the property during / after the inspection(s)?
- Our inspector will need some time to concentrate without any interruptions to complete his/her checks – at least an hour or two, sometimes more. If you would like to meet us to take a look through the property and discuss any issues we would prefer that you arrange this for the end of our inspection – we will let you know a good time to be there.
- Also – please make sure you have asked permission to be at the property from the Sales Agent / Vendor before you arrive.
What about plumbing and electrical inspections? What if I need other specialist services to inspect the property?
- Please read our ‘What’s Not Included’ tab in the boxes above. It’s important to understand that most building inspectors are not qualified in trades such as electrical or plumbing and you should only have these systems checked by a licensed contractor specific to those services.
- Please note there are requirements in Western Australia for the vendor (the ‘seller’) of a property to ensure that RCD’s and smoke alarms are correctly installed prior to the transfer of ownership of a property. We encourage all buyers to read the following information and have a chat to the sales agent if you’re unsure what the seller has arranged: RCD Rules in WA and Smoke Alarm Requirements in WA.
Any other questions? Feel free to call us on 0430 507 884 or email us at info@nightingalepropertyinspections.com.au